Bobbin winding and bunch building



Nov. 25, 1941. H', LA BE 7 2,263,950-

BOBBIN WINDING AND BUNCH BUILDING Filed June 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l- Nov. 25,1941. H;LANIBERT I 2363,9501.

BOBBIN WINDING AND BUNCH BUILDING Filed June 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 I I I I I I I I g I /42 Inverzior.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 Harry Lambert, Methuen,

Mass, assignor to Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 1, 1939, Serial No. 276,792

Claims.

This invention relates to the Winding of bobbins with yarn and particularly to the winding of the bunch on the bobbin.

When the bobbin is used in the shuttle of a loom the bobbin is felt by a feeler frequently to detect the substantial exhaustion of the yarn or filling on the bobbin, and thereupon either to stop the operation of the loom or effect the changing of the bobbin, as the case may be. The feeler arm of the feeler mechanism usually engages the yarn of the bobbin in one specific place on the bobbin which, ordinarily, is near the base or butt of the bobbin, at which point the first convolutions of yarn are wound on in a manner different from the winding of the yarn on the body of the bobbin, to provide a bunch of yarn of substantial diameter with a small amount of yarn. Since the yarn that remains in the bunch of the bobbin after the yarn has been exhausted sufiiciently to cause the operation of the feeler mechanism is discarded it is consequently desirable to keep down the amount of yarn on the bunch. While there have been previous bunch building mechanisms that operate satisfactorily to form a bunch they have, in the main, not been able to control with sufiicient accuracy the amount of yarn in the bunch and hence there has been considerable wastage of ends of yarn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bunch building mechanism wherein the amount of yarn that goes into the bunch can be determined with relatively great accuracy.

A further object of the invention consists in bunch building apparatus wherein the mecha nism that feeds the yarn to the bobbins is utilized as the yarn measuring apparatus to change the bobbin winding action after a predetermined amount of yarn has been fed to the bunch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of bunch building apparatus having yarn measuring meanslocated at an upper part of the spinning frame in such position that it is not liable to derangement from accidental contact by the operative and also is in such position that it is not liable to become clogged with lint or dust.

Another object is generally to simplify the construction and operation of bunch building mechanisms.

' Fig. l is a front elevation of a portion of a spinning frame embodying the present inven- 50 ion. t Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the cam operated lever and'slide of Figs. 1 and 2, shown in their respective positions at the start of the winding and bunch building operation.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the rack and gear of Fig. 4 at the start of the winding operation.

Fig; 6 is a perspective view of the yarn measuring and tripping mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a plan detail of the measuring gear and associated parts.

The invention'herein illustrated is in part an improvement on the bunch building mechanism illustrated in the Kellett et al. Patent No. 1,905,- 910, dated April 25, 1933.

Asillustrated herein the spinning machine includes a frame l2 which rotatably supports the shaft [4 of a bobbin driving or tape drum I6. A spindle supporting bar or rail I8 is located horizontally in front of said drum and supports a plurality of horizontally spaced Vertical spindles 20. A movable bobbin supporting or lifter rail 22 is located above the spindle rail 18 and the spindles 20 pass loosely through said rail and through bobbin supporting and driving pulleys 24. Pairs of said manner by tapes 26 having driving engagement with the tape drum l6 and also with similar pairs of pulleys, not shown, on the opposite side of the frame. Bobbins 28 are located looselyon the spindles 29 and the enlarged lower ends or butts 30 of the bobbins are seated on the pulleys in removable driving engagement therewith. Bobbin caps 3| are carried by the ends of the spindles and extend downwardly and loosely over th bobbins. I

' The yarn or filling A, which is adapted to be wound on the bobbins, is fed downwardly from the upper part of the frame through the pinch of a pair of cooperating back rolls 32 and 34 and thence through sets of carrier rolls 36 and thence through the pinch of cooperating upper and lower front or spinning rolls 38 and 40, there being a pair of front rolls 38 and 40 for each spindle. The rolls lll are fixed to a driving shaft 42 whichis driven by means common in the art, and not herein illustrated, at a speed proportionalto the speed of the tape drum l 6 and hence at a speed proportional to the bobbin speed. The rolls 40 have finely knurled or' fluted surfaces while the upper rolls 38 are,'usually, leath; er covered. The front rolls thus advance the yarn without material slippage and hence the feeding of the yarn is proportional to the rotation of the lower or feed rolls 4!) and hence to the rotation of the shaft 42.

pulleys are driven in the usual The yarns from the feed rolls pass through a guide plate 44 and thence downwardly over the outwardly flared lower edges 46 of the bobbin caps and thence onto the bobbins. The bobbin caps remain in fixed position during the winding of the yarn and the bobbins are given a vertical reciprocating movement while bein also moved progressively downward during the winding thereof, the winding starting with the bobbins in their uppermost elevated positions. The yarn is thus wound on the bobbin from a fixed location while the bobbin moves to distribute the yarn along the length of thebobbin.

The progressive downwardqmovement of the bobbins with the superimposed reciprocatory movement is effected by means of a carriag 48. Said carriage is movable horizontally upon a supporting guideway 50 and is connected to the lifter rail through a flexible cable or chain 52 and a lifter rod 54, the lifter rod being vertical and being attached to the lifter rail 22 at its upper end and being connected to the cable 52 at its :lower end. The weight of the lifter rail and associated parts tends to move the carriage to the left, Fig. 1, from an initial right hand position where the lifter rail is in its extreme elevated position.

Said carriage is moved in a progressivemanner towards the left to move the bobbins pro.- gressively downward by means including a shaft 56 having external screw threads 58 thereon and .rotatably connected at its right hand end with the carriage, the shaft being free to rotate in the carriage but being restricted against independent movement to the left so that the carriage and the shaft move toward the left as a unit.

The shaft 56 is rotated by power through a pinion gear 50 having a one-way clutch connection 62 with the shaft, the arrangement being such that the shaft can slide axially within the gear and clutch while the gear is rotatingto back off the shaft or lower the bobbins while perm tting the sh f wheel 64 independently of the gear .60 and its driving mechanism for resetting the carriage afteradoffing oper n- .The gear 60 is driven through an idler gear .63 from a pinion gear 64 ona shaft 6 6, saidshaft being rotated through meshing spiral gears 68 drivenby a counter-shaft t'lfi. Said countershaft is driven through worm and spur gear reduction gearing l2 and a belt H from the tape drum shaft M.

The counter-shaft 1.0 has fixed theretoa dguble lobed cam 16 by which reciprocation 9f the carriage and consequently thebobbinsis effect ed. A depending lever 18 has a roller 80 at the lower end thereof which bears upon the cam so that the lever is reciprocated by the cam. The upper end of the lever is pivoted on astud 82 located adjustably in a horizontal slot 84 of an extension of the carriage guideway 0 so that the position of the lever with respect to the cam can be suitably adjusted. A vertical arm 85 is screw threaded on the screw threads 58 of the shaft 55, see especially Fig. 3. and constitutes a nut for the shaft and depends therebelow and has a laterally extended arm 88 carryi s arol e 90 eari aeain t hee r Thus a he cam o a t us t e n llat qn o the lever 18 the arm -86 is correspondingly re.- q n q thereby reciprocat ng; the s a t 1 and the carriage 48,

to be rotated by the hand I With this construction it will be apparent that the rotation of the shaft 56 tends to advance the carriage toward the left to progressively lower the bobbins from an elevated position while the cam 16 superimposes upon the progressive movement a reciprocating movement. Thus the bobbin is wound with yarn progressively from the butt end toward the top end thereof.

The bunch building mechanism is intended to be operative during the first part of the yarn winding operation to shorten the length of reciprocatory movement of the bobbin during the first part of the winding operation so that the first part of the yarn is wound in a bunch, the

mechanism being so arranged that after a suflicient' amountof yarn has been wound onto the bobbin to form a suitable bunch the length of the reciprocatory-movement is increased to wind on the yarn in the usual manner.

The bunch winding mechanism includes an abutment arm 92 pivoted on a pin 94 carried by and projecting forwardly from the lever 18 near the pivot 82 thereof. Said abutment arm projects laterally of said lever toward the arm 86 and has a screw 96 adjustably screw-threaded in theend thereof to adjustthe effective length of the arm and thereby adjust the length of the bunch-building strike of the bobbin. Said abutment arm cooperates with an abutment finger 98 associated with the nut arm 85. Said abutment finger, see especially Figs. 1 and .3, is fixed to a rack [00 slidable vertically on the arm 86 and held yieldingly in its lowermost position on said arm by .a retractile spring l02 connected between the lower end of the rack and the lower end of the arm 86. In the lowermost position of the rack the abutment finger v98 is below the abutment arm 92, as shown in Fig. 1.

Said screw-threaded shaft 56 has a pinion gear I64 fixed theretowhich in an extreme right hand position of the shaft and carriage is in engagement with the teeth of the rack and operates to raise the rack against the tension of the spring H12 into a position where the abutment finger 98 is in confronting relation with the abutment arm 92, as indicated by the dotted lines Fig. 1. The. gear IE4 is provided with a long tooth I06, see Fig. 5, which defines .the uppermost position of the rack and also the extreme right hand position of the shaft and carriage. In the confronting relation of the abutment finger and arm '98 and -92, respectively, the carriage is given a short reciprocatory movement by the rotation of the cam 16 for the purpose of forming the bunch. As the shaftifi rotates, the rack Hill is caused to .descend and ultimately moves the abutment finger 98 out of cooperative relation with the arm :92 whereupon the cam 16 is effective in giving the carriage its full stroke by the winding of the body of, the yarn on the bobbin. i

The mechanism as so far described is essentially as set forth in the above referred to Kellett et al. Patent No. 1,905,910.

In accordance with the present invention yarn measuring mechanism is provided to shift the stroke of the bobbin from the short bunch-build.- ing stroke to the long body-building stroke after a predetermined length of yarn has been wound onto the bobbin by moving the pivoted abutment arm 92 out of cooperative relation with the co operating finger 9B. Said mechanism in ludes a bracket I08 fixed to the side frame l2 of the machine in front of the shaft 42. Said bracket is provided with a vertical stud I I0 fixed thereto terminated in an upstanding reduced diameter The gear can be removed from the pin and repositioned thereon 'in any angularly changed position. Said gear meshes with and is driven by a worm gear IIB fixed to the shaft 42. A

displaceable member in the form of a vertical latch rod H8 is disposed in the frame I88 on the side of the stud shaft III] opposite the worm gear H6 and is located in an opening I2flin and extends above the top wall I22 of the bracket under said gear I I4. Said latch rod has a notch I24 in a face thereof under the top end of the rod in which an edge part of the wall I22 at the opening I20 is received. A leaf spring I26 is fixed to said latch rod and is located partly within said opening I2Ii and bears against the opposite edge part thereof to maintain the latch rod releasably hooked onto the wall I22.- vPressure on the latch rod in a direction to overcome the opposite pressure of the spring causes the spring to fiex and the latch rod to release its hold on said wall I22 whereupon the latch rod can drop by its weight and by the weight or pressure of the parts associated therewith and also by the pressure of the inclined spring on the wall I22.

The gear H4 is provided with a pin I28 which is fixed in and depends below-the bottom face of the gear and rotates therewith and ultimately engages the projecting end of the latch rod and releases it from its hold on the frame I08 so that the latch rod is free to drop. The arrangement is such that the gear can continue its rotation to carry the pin beyond the latch rod. The latch rod is provided intermediate its end with a projecting pin I30'constituting a handle by which the latch rod and associated parts can be reset following the dofiing of the bobbins.

The lowerend of the latch rod is provided with a loose pivotal connection I32 with one end of an arm I 34 which extends through a suitable opening in the frame I2 and is fixed to a disc I35 pivoted on a pin I38 carried by the rear face of the spindle rail I8. Said disc has a depending arm I40 provided with an inwardly reflexed horizontal end part I42 which confronts a depending arm or plate I44 fixed to the abutment arm 52 and is capable of movement against said plate to swing said arm 92 in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 1, to remove it from cooperative relation with the abutment finger 98 of the nut arm 86. The arm I34, I40 thus constitute a bell crank lever transmitting motion of the latch rod II8 to the abutment arm 92.

With this arrangement it will be apparent that when the gear II4 has been rotated a sufficient amount to effect the tripping of the latch rod II8 the downward movement of the latch rod efiects the displacement of the abutment arm 92 and causes the reciprocation of the bobbins to change from the short bunching stroke to the full length winding stroke.

The gear I I4 can be removed from its pm I I2 and replaced thereon in engagement with its driving gear H6 in any desired starting position of the pin I28 remote from the latch rod II 8 so that the extent of travel of the pin up to the latch rod determines the amount of yarn wound in the bunch. The upper face of the gearis or can be provided with suitable indicia I46 denoting the different amounts of yarn that will be wound into the bunch for different settings of the gear with respect to some starting point as the driving gear H6. Since the yarn is fed without appreciable slippage by the spinning rolls '40 the displacement of, the gear H4 is an accuratemeasure of, the length of yarn fedto the bobbin. Thus the arrangement provides a very accurate mechanism for determining the amount of yarn that is wound into, the bunch. The mechanism. also .is capable 'of convenient adjustment to change accurately the amount of yarn in the bunch when desired.

I claim:

1. In a spinning frame'having means fo'rwinding initial amounts of yarn in a bunch on aibobbin and for winding following amounts of yarn on the body of the bobbin, a spinning roll for advancing the yarn to the bobbin, and a spinning roll shaft, the combination therewith of a driving gear fixed to said shaft, a driven gear meshing with said driving gear, a support for said driven gear arranged to permit changes of engagement between said gears, a projection carried by said driven gear, a displaceable member located in an opening in said support and having a latching notch engaged by one of the walls of said opening, said member being disposed in position to be engaged by said projection following a predetermined rotation of said driven gear to move'said notch out of engagement with said wall, and means operative in response to the displacement of said displaceable member for stopping the bunch'building operation and initiating the body building operation. r

2. In a spinning machine having a feed shaft, a yarn feed roll on the shaft, a builder mechanism including a lifter-rail carriage, means for reciprocating said carriage with a short throw to build a bunch on a bobbin, means for reciprocating said carriage with a long throw to fill the bobbin after the bunch building means is disabled, the combination therewith of yarn measuring mechanism including a gear on said shaft, a counting gear driven by said shaft gear, a displacing member carried by said counting'gear, a support for said counting gear, a latch projecting above and releasably engaged with said support and arranged to be engaged by said displacing member after a predetermined angular movement of said counting gear and disengaged from said support and to drop, and a lever operated by the dropping of said latch member to disable said bunch building means and to hold said bunch building means disabled until said latch member is reset manually.

3. In a spinning machine having a feed shaft, a yarn feed roll fixed on said shaft, builder mechanism including a reciprocable lifter-rail carriage having a bunch building rack thereon having a bunch building position and an idle position, an oscillating carriage-reciprocating arm having means engageable with said carriage for reciprocating said carriage with a long throw, and a displaceable abutment on said arm having abutting engagement with a part of said rack for reciprocating said carriage with a short throw when the rack is in bunch building position, the combination therewith of yarn measuring mechanism driven by said shaft and operative after a predetermined amount of yarn has been fed by said feed roll to displace said abutment away from engaging position with said rack to change the movement of said carriage from a short stroke to a long stroke and to hold said abutment out of rack engaging position at least While said rack is in its bunch building position, said yarn measuring mechanism including a counting gear driven by said feed roll shaft, a displacing member carried by said gear, a support for said gear,

a displaceable latch carried by and projecting above and through an opening in said support in the pathof movement of said displacing member, a spring extending into said opening and exerting pressure between said latch and said support, said latch being arranged to be displaced by said displacing member after a predetermined angular movement of the counting gear, said spring operating upon displacement of said latch -to initiate downward movement of the latch, and a lever operatively controlled by said latch and having a portion arranged for movement into engagement with said abutment to move said abutment out of engagement with the rack, said latch and lever remaining in displaced position until the latch is reset manually.

4. In a spinning machine having a feed shaft,

n yarn feed roll driven by said shaft, builder mechanism including a reciprocable litter-rail "carriage-having a bunch building controllin rack thereon having a control position and an idle position, an oscillating carriage-reciprocating arm having means engageable with'said carriage --for reciprocating said carriage with a long :throw, and a displaceable abutment on said arm having abutting engagement with part of said rack for ..reciprocating said carriage with a short throw ,when the rack is in control position, the com- --bination therewith of yarn measuring mechanism operative after a predetermined amount of yarn has been fed by said roll to displace said abut- .ment away from engaging position with said rack said support and projecting in the path of movement of and arranged to be engaged by said displacing member after a predetermined an ular movement of said counting gear, a spring acting on said latch to move it downward after said latch is disengaged from said support by the displacing member, and a member normally out of engagement with the abutment and arranged upon downward movementof the latch to engage the abutment and to move the abutment out of engagement with the rack and to hold the abutment out of rack engaging position during the remainder of the building operation.

"5. In a spinning machine having a feed shaft, -a yarn feedroll fixed on said shaft, builder mechanism having bunch-building means for forming a bunch on a bobbin and other means operative after the disabling of the bunch building means to fill the bodyoi yarn-on the bobbin, the combination therewithlof yarn measuring mechanism controlling the duration of operation of said bunch build ng means, said measuring mechanism including a driving gear fixed on said feed shaft, a counting geardriven by said driving ear, a support having a part ,on which said counting gear is rotatable and manually movable axially into and out of mesh with said driving gear, a latch-tripping projection carried by said counting gear, a latch-rod having a releasable engagement withsaid support wherein it is disposedin the path of movement of said projection and is arranged to be moved thereby off said support, a spring acting on said latch-rod in a direction to move it lengthwise when disengaged with said support, and means Operated by the disengaged movement .of said latch-rod operative to disable said bunch-building means and to hold said bunch-building means disabled until the completion of the bobbin filling operation, said latchrod being arranged to be re-engaged manually withsaid support.

HARRY LAMBERT. 

